Social Media Commons^™

Become A Future-Focused Leader: Use Three Megatrends To Grow Your Rural Business, Connie Reimers-Hild, Alyssa Dye

Community Vitality Initiative

No one can predict the future; however, rural entrepreneurs and business owners can use a future-focused leadership approach, which includes examining megatrends, to shape the future of their businesses. Megatrends are global shifts that influence society, the economy and the environment. This article discusses three megatrends shaping the future of rural businesses:

1) The Rise of the #GigEconomy

2) Living with Purpose and Meaning

3) The Decentralized Marketplace

The article also provides coaching tips for rural entrepreneurs on how to use megatrends to grow their businesses.

While many companies are struggling to keep up with the rapid rate of change, …

"A Short Burst Of Inconsequential Information": Networked Rhetorics, Avian Consciousness, And Bioegalitarianism, Damien S. Pfister

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This essay uses the concept of “avian consciousness” to reconsider assumptions about human communication and theorize networked rhetorics. By adopting an ornithomorphic frame, I critically read Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist as an exploration of overlaps between human and avian consciousness. I then argue that avian consciousness provides a richer metaphor for understanding networked rhetorics than autistic consciousness, which is an increasingly dominant trope for explaining interaction with digitally networked media. I explore how Twitter, explicitly modeled on avian communication, can be understood as circulating information in ways analogous to the contact and assembly calls of birds. The essay concludes …

Editors Use Social Media Mostly To Post Story Links, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

A survey of senior editors of U.S. print broadcast and online news outlets found that while 98 percent of the 376 respondents say they use social media, they primarily use it to post links to stories on Facebook and Twitter. Far fewer use social media to interact with audiences by posing questions and responding to comments

Exploring Ways Social Media Data Inform Public Issues Communication: An Analysis Of Twitter Conversation During The 2012-2013 Drought In Nebraska, Adam Wagler, Karen J. Cannon

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Social networking sites often are used to maintain close social ties, but increasingly they are used for information and news dissemination, specifically about major events and crises. In 2012, a historic drought struck the Midwest, destroying or damaging portions of major field crops in major agricultural production states. By the end of August 2012, 90% of Nebraska was declared in extreme or exceptional drought, leading to bans on irrigation, damaged crops, and record-low yields as well as damaging the state’s leading economic sector. This case study used social media monitoring and analysis to explore online Twitter conversations related to this …

More Than, Joslyn Maenner, Katie Knobbe, Joel Girouard, Desiree Botica, Molly Deaver, Alex Vasey, Ramon Diaz De Leon, Lucy Grant, Kyle Thompson, Adam Weisenberger

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

This project was developed in response to the following challenge: create messaging to promote a more welcoming and inclusive climate on campus while branding the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center.

The Fuzzin' Facts, Rebel Alliance, Mitch Ohnstad, Rebekka Erks, Erin Prohaska, Ryan Mueksch, Rachel Foehlinger, Laura Bergen, Sean Davis

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

The challenge for this campaign is to expose the facts about sexual health and safe sex practices in a light-hearted manner in order to make it a more comfortable topic to talk about so that more people understand the need to get the facts, get tested and get involved to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in Nebraska.

Book Review: Twitter: Social Communication In The Twitter Age, By Dhiraj Murthy, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Twitter has helped to shape social communication in today’s world. In his book, Dhiraj Murthy recognizes Twitter’s impact as a communication medium and puts it in context.

Reconsidering Childfreedom: A Feminist Exploration Of Discursive Identity Construction In Childfree Livejournal Communities, Julia Moore

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This article employs participant definitional analysis, sensitized with feminist poststructuralism and critical ethnography, to understand three identity construction processes that members of childfree LiveJournal communities participate in: (a) naming childfreedom, (b) negotiating childfreedom, and (c) enacting childfreedom. I argue that childfree identities are contested and sometimes activist. Ultimately, I call for scholars to reconsider the definition of childfree to account for the complex and nuanced identities constructed by individuals who identify as such.

Tweeting The Boston Marathon Bombings: A Case Study Of Twitter Content In The Immediate Aftermath Of A Major Event, Rebekah Dawn Giordano

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

The project explored and analyzed the use of the social media tool Twitter in the immediate aftermath of a major event. Tweets and re-tweets from the first hour following the Boston Marathon Bombings on April 15, 2013 were collected and analyzed. The project used the application SIFTER from the company Textifer to identify the related tweets by inputting sixteen previously documented keywords related to the Boston Marathon Bombing. The tweets were then divided into several categories and subcategories to be analyzed. The company Twitter Counter was used to obtain accurate information, such as followers on, for various individual Twitter accounts. …

Wikiproject Agriculture: Be An Agricultural Wikipedian, Dana W.R. Boden

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Wikipedia will be 13 years old in 2014. It is ranked the 6thmost visited site on the World Wide Web. Many librarians and information specialists have a love hate relationship with this open access, free internet encyclopedia. Searching for agricultural information sometimes exposes a lack of information or existence of entries on specific topics, inaccurate information, or results in the frustration of a research dead end from unreferenced articles. Wikipedia is, of course, a collaboratively edited resource. A Wikipedia WikiProjectis a group of contributors working together to improve the Wikipedia information and the pages on a particular topic or subject …

A Qualitative Study Of The Effectiveness Of The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln's Journalism Program For Preparing Students For The Workplace, Sarah Anne Carter Rosenbaum

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Journalism is changing at a rapid pace with every new technology and tool being released. Within the past year, Twitter’s Vine, Instagram video, and Google Glass are examples of technology that has emerged and journalists have incorporated them into their news coverage. Journalism education is faced with the task of figuring out how to best educate journalists so they are prepared for the current workplace. The balance is sought between teaching traditional journalism skills and knowledge and teaching the ability to use the latest technology. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications (UNL CoJMC) has made changes …

Empowered And Engaged: Exploring Social Media Best Practices For Nonprofits, Tessa Warner, Alexis Abel, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Although nonprofits see value and potential in social media, many have not yet mastered social media and harnessed their full potential. This phenomenological study sought to identify the best social media strategies and tactics for effectively engaging existing and potential donors, volunteers and stakeholders, according to social media nonprofit professionals. Six themes emerged: listening to the audience; engaging instead of fundraising; sharing relevant, valuable and actionable content; being honest, accessible and responsive; using social media as part of a multi-channel strategy; and that measuring is mandatory.

Aaron Swartz’S Fbi Files

United States Department of Justice: Publications

Aaron Hillel Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was an American computer programmer, writer, political organizer and Internet Hacktivist.

Swartz was involved in the development of the web feed format RSS, the organization Creative Commons, the website framework web.py and the social news site, Reddit, in which he became a partner after its merger with his company, Infogami. Swartz's later work focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism.

He helped launch the Progressive Change Campaign Committee in 2009 to learn more about effective online activism. In 2010 he became a research fellow at Harvard University's Safra Research Lab …

Aaron Swartz’S Secret Service Files

United States Department of Justice: Publications

These documents concern the indictment in Massachusetts for downloading JSTOR content from MIT library network.

Parts 1 & 2 are included in the main document.

Additional files are linked below, as follows:

Part 3 (3 files) -- 379 pages, 4067 pages (spreadsheet), & 190 pages (photos)

Part 4 -- 1 page

Part 5 -- 1 page

Part 6 -- 1 page

Part 7 -- 7 pages

Part 8 -- 237,397 pages (yes)

Part 9 -- 90 pages

Part 10 -- 259 pages

Part 11 -- 17 pages

Part 12 -- (not released as of 9/29/2014)

Part 13 -- 254 pages …

An Integrated Marketing Communications Plan For The Great American Comedy Festival, Johnny Carson Theatre, Norfolk, Nebraska, Adnormal Strategies, Emily Schaefer, Tony Nelson, Dominique Brown, Kary Benson, Mickey Mcconkey, Katheryn Schuller, Amanda Gammel, Max Wesely

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Client: The Great American Comedy Festival

Campaign Purpose: In the summer of 2014, members of the Great American Comedy Festival approached our team of 8 advertising and public relation students with a specific task. The proposed task was to help increase attendance as well as raise awareness for future Great American Comedy Festivals. Our team’s mission is to present innovative ideas that will help our client generate an increase in attendance and to also provide them with beneficial tactics for future festivals.

Research: For our campaign, we accumulated various data through both secondary and primary research. Our secondary …

Center For Civic Engagement: An Integrated Marketing Communications Plan, Libelle Advertising, Matt Hartman, Amy Welniak, Heather Czaplewski, Liz Bachman, Sophie Beyer, Navannah Slezak, Jasmine Rogers

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

The purpose of this campaign is to increase participation in the Center for Civic Engagement programs and raise awareness for the Center for Civic Engagement within the University of Nebraska– Lincoln student body, faculty, and advisors. We also wanted to determine the most effective and efficient way to distribute the Center for Civic Engagement information to the UNL student body, staff and local employers.

For this campaign, we collected various data through both secondary and primary sources. Our secondary research consisted mainly of information found online which covered trends on civic engagement, employment issues and other areas associated with civic …

The Influence Of Mobile Website Quality On Consumer Satisfaction And Behavior, Xiuyuan Gao

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mobile shopping has grown into a huge market and an increasing number of consumers have begun to use mobile websites to shop. Therefore, how mobile shopping websites provide good shopping to customers is significant. The object of this study is to relate factors of website quality to college students’ satisfaction with mobile shopping experiences, which in turn influence their intentions to return to the website and/or to purchase on the website. Five dimensions of website quality, which were information quality, navigation, visual appeal, response time and interactivity, were selected in this study. The model of self-regulatory process (Bagozzi, 1992) has …

Embracing Change: Exploring How Creative Professionals Use Interactive Media In Advertising Campaigns, Adam Wagler

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Advertising agencies are incorporating new forms of interactive media into campaigns as media continues to rapidly change. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to explore how five creative professionals at leading advertising agencies in the Midwest are integrating interactive media into campaigns. Through a series of interviews this project helps solidify what it means to integrate interactive media. The findings illustrate a fundamental shift in an industry that is moving away from “advertising.” An industry built around traditional media now requires creatives to incorporate dynamic, mobile, and social media into the marketing mix. Advertising agencies must engage audiences …

Social Media And Journalism: What Works Best And Why It Matters, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

As more Americans turn to social media sites for news and information, news organizations respond by using social networks as platforms to deliver content. This study examines how news outlets use social media platforms, the positive impact and concerns raised by social media use, and the best practices editors identify for effective social media use. The study aims to help editors understand which approaches to social media attract audiences and increase reader or audience interaction.

Activism, Deliberation, And Networked Public Screens: Rhetorical Scenes From The Occupy Moment In Lincoln, Nebraska (Part 1 & 2), Joshua P. Ewalt, Jessy J. Ohl, Damien S. Pfister

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Part 1 of this manuscript is a dramatization of five rhetorical scenes that take the Occupy phenomenon as a moment to explore features of contemporary social protest and change. Drawing on rhetorical field notes collected over the first two weeks of Occupy Lincoln in Nebraska, we identify how historical tensions between activism and deliberation were both complicated and reasserted as the Occupy moment became a movement. The rhetorical scenes partially replicate actual conversations, though they are remediated through three composite figures: Anda, a longtime social activist; John, an advocate of democratic deliberation; and Dajuan, an undergraduate organizer of the local …

Glidden At Walmart: There For You, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln Nsac Team, Cody Elmore, Adam Kroft, Rachel Leitschuck, Brittany Rypkema, Jordan Oddo, Derek Niewohner, Matthew Anderson, Mitchell Benes, Meg Brannen, Griffin Gale, Devin Mcdermott, Grant Weber, Jennifer Gortik, Geremy Gortemaker, Katie Hottovy, Matt Wengert, Toan Chu, Devin Specht, Rich Bailey, Michael Goff

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

Hectic, busy, tiring—these are just a few words our target markets use to describe their day-to-day lives. Millennials, young families, and Baby Boomers all feel the pressure of life. With jobs, schoolwork, and family, they find it hard to keep up. Because of these busy lifestyles, savvy consumers crave home improvement solutions that are both quick and reliable. Glidden offers a solution to these issues by placing its top-quality paint in the most convenient store on Earth, Walmart. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln NSAC Team has created a plan to promote this symbiotic relationship of Glidden’s quality and Walmart’s convenience as …

Short And Tweet, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

The goal is to help students learn to write clearly and concisely. It reinforces William Zinsser’s advice in “On Writing Well.” He said, “Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.” The exercise helps students learn to find the focus of stories. It helps editing students write concise, clear headlines that pull readers into stories. It also helps reporting students learn to summarize stories accurately and briefly — a skill they need as they craft their own ledes.

Book Review: Alphabet To Internet: Media In Our Lives, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Technology has changed virtually every aspect of communication. As more of us adapt to news and information delivered almost instantly on devices that handily fit into a pocket, we’ve become accustomed to new tools and quick changes. Irving Fang’s second edition of Alphabet to Internet puts it all in perspective, starting with the dawn of writing and including today’s 140-character Tweet. In a word, the impact is mind-boggling.

Book Review: The Ethics Of Emerging Media: Information, Social Norms And New Media Technology, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Discussions of new media and ethics sometimes include the notion that “ethics are ethics”—that doing the right thing is, and has been, a constant over time and across media.

The idea has a certain appeal. But it gets new twists in The Ethics of Emerging Media, by Bruce E. Drushel and Kathleen German, assistant professors of communication at Miami University. New media create new ethical questions and opportunities to cross ethical lines, as the thirteen contributors to this collection examine.

Book Review: Public Journalism 2.0: The Promise And Reality Of A Citizen-Engaged Press, Sue Burzynski Bullard

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Digital technology has changed journalism dramatically. Through a collection of research studies, essays, case studies, and interviews, Public Journalism 2.0 takes a detailed look at evolving public journalism and where audience-generated stories fit into that evolution. The editors divide the book into three sections: the history of civic and citizen journalism, current practices, and future possibilities. They conclude with their views of where professionals fit in to a citizen-engaged press.

Rtbs: Your Audio Companion, 3am, Cori Schwabe, Casey Mattison, Kathryn Kawa, Allea Grummert, Nick Holle, Gabbi Silke, Derrick Sloan, Brittany Guindon, Amanda Hinrichs

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Advertising Projects

Radio Talking Book Service, a non-profit organization that assists the visually impaired by providing a free radio reading service, came to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a challenge: increase brand and service awareness throughout Nebraska.

We began by conducting both secondary and primary research, developing key insights and examining all possible target audiences. We investigated the day-to-day life of the visually impaired, learning that many who have experienced vision loss suffer from decreasing independence and increasing feelings of loneliness. Our primary research revealed that these individuals turn first to eye care professionals, resource organizations for the visually impaired and residential …

Social Networking Sites: What They Are And How To Navigate Them (Leader Guide), Maria Deguzman, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp Dr., Anita Hall, Deanna Vansickel-Staudt, Car Mun Kok, Jessica Lake

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn has dramatically increased in recent years. Today, over 50 percent of teens and 35 percent of adults in the U.S. are using at least one type of social networking site. If used well, these sites can have many personal and professional benefits. Social networking can be a fun way to communicate with others, and an effective way to expand one’s social and professional connections. It is important to practice good judgment and proper “netiquette” when developing personal profiles and interacting with others through such sites. This community program will …

Social Networking Sites: What They Are And How To Navigate Them (Participant Manual), Maria Deguzman, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp Dr., Anita Hall, Deanna Vansickel-Staudt, Car Mun Kok, Jessica Lake

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn has dramatically increased in recent years. Today, over 50 percent of teens and 35 percent of adults in the U.S. are using at least one type of social networking site. If used well, these sites can have many personal and professional benefits. Social networking can be a fun way to communicate with others, and an effective way to expand your social and professional connections. Nonetheless, it is important to practice good judgment and proper “netiquette” when developing personal profiles and interacting with others through such sites. This community program …

Embedding An Im [Instant Messaging] Widget In Research Databases: Helping Users At Their Point-Of-Need, Kwabena Sekyere

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

The rapid growth of internet users has made libraries eager to introduce online services for this new community, in addition to their traditional reference services. Virtual reference service has become a convenient and easily accessible option for the online community, particularly with increasing amounts of libraries resources now available electronically as well (Lou, 2007).

Virtual reference began in many libraries as email reference service (Janes, 2002) with a move to live chat reference as technology advanced. These live reference services were offered through chat software developed in-house or by vendors. Due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining …

Vodcasting, Itunes U, And Faculty Collaboration, Jason Paul Michel, Susan Hurst, Andrew Revelle

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

In the summer of 2008, the Miami University Libraries began a pilot project to integrate Web video tutorials (vodcasts) into a multiplicity of access points to enhance and extend library services. By the end of the project, Web video tutorials had been embedded in specific course sites in the course management system Blackboard, as well as in our institution's iTunes U site. The libraries were, in fact, the first entity on campus to feature publicly-available content on iTunes U. This brief article will delineate the project and explain why we believe this effort has helped position the library within …